The present invention is directed to an apparatus for brewing a beverage. More particularly, the invention is directed to an apparatus for brewing a beverage like coffee or tea. The apparatus has a brew funnel with an elevation device whereby the apparatus is suitable to brew a beverage with a filter and loose beverage precursor, and a beverage precursor within a filter pack.
Tea, for example, is more sensitive to brewing and often more difficult to brew then coffee. Many establishments that brew tea (i.e., either hot or cold brew) have a tea brewing apparatus that employs a brew funnel which holds filter paper and loose tea leaf whereby water contacts the tea leaf in the filter paper to produce tea for consumption. These establishments enjoy such an apparatus because they are common and result in tea that is, generally, of good quality.
Other vendors convey that it is preferred to brew tea with tea leaf within a filter pack. Filter packs are sometimes enjoyed in lieu of loose tea leaf because they do not require the use of a separate filter and the pouring of loose tea leaf into a brew funnel. While some believe that the brewing of tea with loose tea leaf produces a better tasting tea (i.e., because the water used to brew the tea is able to contact loose tea leaves effectively), others believe that tea made via filter packs is of better quality because tea leaf almost never carries over to the tea product to be consumed, and because apparatuses that use filter packs almost never get clogged with tea leaves.
The different preferences of end users or vendors can make business difficult for suppliers of tea. This is true because suppliers of tea leaf typically supply establishments with both tea leaf in either loose form or in filter packs and tea brewing apparatuses, and filters and loose tea leaf and filter packs cannot be used in the same apparatus. Thus, two different brewing apparatuses must be supplied.
It is of increasing interest to develop a single (i.e., universal) apparatus for brewing beverage that can brew beverage with either a filter and loose beverage precursor and with beverage precursor within a filter pack. This invention, therefore, is directed to an apparatus for brewing beverage and the apparatus has a brew funnel with an elevation device whereby the apparatus is suitable to brew beverage with a filter and loose beverage precursor, and beverage precursor within a filter pack.
Additional Information
Efforts have been disclosed for brewing beverage. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,927,179, an apparatus for quick brewing of tea is described.
Other efforts have been disclosed for brewing beverages. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,305,268, a machine for brewing hot beverages is disclosed.
Still other efforts have been disclosed for brewing beverages. In U.S. Application No. 20020002908 A1, a beverage brewing apparatus with automatic and semi-automatic brewing modes is disclosed.
None of the additional information above describes an apparatus for brewing beverage such that the apparatus has a brew funnel with an elevation device whereby the apparatus is suitable to brew beverage with a filter and loose beverage precursor, and beverage precursor within a filter pack.
In a first aspect, the present invention is directed to a brew funnel for brewing beverage, the brew funnel for brewing beverage comprising:
(a) a mouth suitable for receiving a filter and loose beverage precursor, and suitable for receiving beverage precursor within a filter pack;
(b) a floor, opposite the mouth, the floor being tapered towards an aperture;
(c) a surrounding wall having a top and bottom portion, the bottom portion being connected to the floor and the top portion forming the mouth of the brew funnel; and
(d) an elevation device
wherein the brew funnel is suitable for use in a beverage brewing apparatus.
In a second aspect, the present invention is directed to a beverage brewing apparatus comprising the brew funnel of the first aspect of this invention.
In a third aspect, the present invention is directed to a kit for brewing beverage, the kit comprising the beverage brewing apparatus of the second aspect of this invention and instructions that the apparatus can brew beverage with a filter and loose beverage precursor and beverage precursor within a filter pack.
In a fourth aspect, the present invention is directed to a method for making a beverage with the brew funnel of the first aspect of this invention.
Elevation device, as used herein, is defined to mean a device that has a platform, the ability to hold up a filter pack, the ability to hold up the sides of a tea brewing filter, the ability to fit within the brew funnel such that the platform is substantially parallel to the floor of the brew funnel and elevated therefrom, the platform being porous to a liquid (e.g., a platform with at least two holes or perforations but preferably a plurality of holes or perforations).
Beverage precursor, as used herein, is defined to mean a material that can be contacted with water to produce a beverage, such a beverage precursor can be ground coffee or tea leaf.
Beverage, as used herein, is defined to mean a liquid that may be consumed by a human and made with a beverage precursor.
Coffee is defined to mean a beverage derived from a coffee bean including ground coffee.
Tea, as used herein, is meant to include tea derived from Camillia sinensis, as well as herbal teas.
Filter is defined to mean a material, like a paper material, that can hold beverage precursor and allow a liquid to pass through.
Filter pack, as used herein, is defined to mean a sealed pack (e.g., made of filter paper) filled with beverage precursor.